The Independent University of Moscow (IUM) is a small, elite institution of higher learning focusing primarily on mathematics. It was founded in 1991 at the initiative of a group of well-known Russian research mathematicians, who now comprise the Academic Council of the University. Since April 2001, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded two continuing grants to the American Mathematical Society (AMS) with funds to be used to support mathematically talented U.S. undergraduates for a semester of study at the MATH in MOSCOW program of the IUM. Based on the success of the existing Travel Support for the Math in Moscow Program, the AMS has requested a continuation of funding, in the amount of $225,000, for three years. These funds will be used to underwrite a substantial part of the typical cost for a semester of study in the program for ten undergraduates per (academic) year.
The MATH in MOSCOW program is a fifteen-week-long research experience for mathematically talented students. This program consists primarily of courses in mathematics and theoretical computer science, and provides an academically enriching experience because it allows mathematically talented students to meet and work with other students who share a talent and interest in mathematics, as well as the chance to work with some of the world's leading mathematicians. The program provides an experience of mathematics that the students would not find in the U.S. This is because students experience the field of mathematics as it is practiced in the Russian tradition, the main feature of which has always been the development of a creative approach to mathematics, with the emphasis being on problem solving rather than memorizing theorems. Indeed, for the Independent University, discovering mathematics under the guidance of an experienced teacher is the central principle of its program, and the MATH in MOSCOW program emphasizes in-depth understanding of carefully selected material rather than broad surveys of large quantities of material.
In addition to the academically enriching experience that the MATH in MOSCOW program provides, there is another strong rationale for supporting such a program. It is a way to build vital scholarly connections between the Russian and U.S. mathematics communities, which is certainly in the best interest for the future scientific research of both countries. Creating ties between mathematicians in our two communities, both young and old, will promote scientific cooperation far into the future.
The AMS actively advertises the MATH in MOSCOW program both in the Notices of the AMS and on its web site. A committee of three U.S. mathematicians appointed by the AMS selects individuals for support under this grant from among those U.S. undergraduates who have been admitted to the program and apply for such aid. All grant funds are expended on student support as the AMS fully absorbs all of the administrative costs associated with the promotion of the program, the creation and maintenance of a customized applicant management database, the support of the volunteer selection committee and the management and distribution of scholarship funds.
